“How It All Started” Chapter 1

She was running, running and running, her legs were weakening, her white mini gown was drenched with sweat and stuck to her back, her makeup was all sticky, the Brazilian extension she had on was dripping sweat and stuck to her head and face, she couldn’t run any longer, but if she wanted to be alive, she had to. She turned back to see if her pursuers were behind, she saw no one. She decided to rest and catches her breath, just then her phone rang;

Woman: “Hello”

Man (on the phone): “You can only run, but you can’t hide, this is my city and I will get you.” She began to fidget, and the phone fell out of her hand as she began to slowly go down, till she slumped on the red sand, consumed with fear. As she lay on the ground, her face in the sand, tears dropping from her eyes, mixed with phlegm, pooled on the red sand making it muddy. She thought back to how and where it all started…

On the day that Adebimpe was to go to the University, she woke up before the cock crow, she went to the bathroom outside the house, made of corrugated Zinc sheets, to bathe. After bathing she wore her Christmas gown, it was the only good clothe she had, the rest of her clothes were the ones she used for farm work and hawking firewood, from which she got money to fend for her family.

She was the first child of 4 children, and the only daughter. Her younger brothers’ education laid squarely on her shoulders, her father was crippled by an accident in the steel mill he worked for, the compensation money was used to rent and stock a shop for her mother. Bimpe’s mother, Basirat was an irresponsible woman, the proceeds from her shop she used in pursuing young boys in the village, till they could no longer pay the rent for the shop. Her father, Ladejo just sat in his chair everyday unable to control his body, much less his unruly wife, so every day he died a little more.

As Bimpe lathered her body, she thought of the family she would leave behind, how would they cope without her? She had left money which she had been saving up, to her mother for their upkeep. She hoped her mother would be responsible now that she was no longer there.

At six am, she bade farewell to her family, her younger brothers, Tunde, Afolayan and Dele clung to her, crying.

Dele: “Aunty Bimpe, don’t leave us” he cried

Bimpe: “I am not leaving you; I will come back most weekends. Remember what I told you, education is the key to success, if we want our life to improve, I have to go to school”

They followed her to the bus park where she boarded a bus going to Lagos, stayed with her till the bus was filled and on its way. They kept waving at her till the bus drove out of sight, then slowly they turned back to walk the distance home. On each of their young minds were the thought of seeing their elder sister again.

Bimpe couldn’t sleep on the bus, her mind was preoccupied, she was just twenty years old, but the weight on her shoulders, how would she sponsor her education and still cater for her siblings. She was no longer at home where she could sell firewood for money, so what was she going to do for money. The money on her was just enough for school fees and registrations, she thought of her feeding and upkeep.

“When there is a will, there is a way” she said within herself trying to motivate herself. Her goal was to come out with a first class, get a good job and move her family to a more comfortable life, and she was determined to get her goal, no matter the cost.

Driver: “Berger dey?” he shouted. Some passengers alighted, and Bimpe realized she was very close to Lagos. She blanked her mind out and fed her eyes. She was filled with excitement as she realized she was going to be living in this beautiful city, not that backwater town of Ilisan. Soon she alighted at Ojuelegba and found her way to school.

A group of ladies, all sporting the longest Brazilian extension, with designer shoes and bags, sat in the school’s cafeteria. This cafeteria was unlike the one

That day was the beginning of their friendship; they became close so much that they were spending so much time together. Brian soon realized that Bimpe was a girl of little means, so he took it upon himself to provide for her, he took her shopping, bought clothes, trendy bags and shoes, and provisions. This would have been a good development in Bimpe’s life, if it was not disturbing her education. Bimpe started going to class whenever it was convenient, or whenever Brian was out of town. Brian and Oyinda were from rich home, therefore, Brian was not at any job, he had a trust fund waiting for him, and the only condition was for him to get married. Oyinda had her own trust fund, all she had to do was complete the University with nothing less than a 2.2. So after all her partying, she was sleeping around with the lecturers for grade. The only loser therefore, was Bimpe, the girl from a poor home. As a result of dating Brian, she managed to forget about the situation at home, she did not go for weekends as she had planned because the weekends were spent in Brian’s playhouse, somewhere on the Island. Bimpe strives to be the kind of girl suited for Brian, she changed her way of dressing, bleached her skin so much that you would never know she was the same Bimpe from Ilisan.

All these while, their relationship had been without sex because, Bimpe had refused, saying they should wait a little. One day, a Saturday, after having a fixed class in the auditorium, she decided she would spend the weekend at Brian’s place, so she went to the hostel, took a few clothes and took a bus to C.M.S. While she was trying to board a bus at C.M.S to Admiralty where Brian had his playhouse, she thought of calling him, but when she tried the number, it refused to connect, severally. So, she proceeded without calling him. On getting to the house, the gateman already knew her so he let her in. She had this giddy feeling in the pit of her stomach that she was in a committed relationship with a man who was from a wealthy family.

Bimpe: “Who said education was the only way to a better life” she thought to herself and giggled as she swung the door open. The giggle died in her throat as she saw her Brian sprawled on the sofa, and a dark skinned girl with big bum was kneeling on the floor, rendering him a ‘blowjob’. She staggered and supported herself with the wall.

Bimpe:”Brian!” she exclaimed. When he turned, his eyes bulged with surprise; he quickly shoved the dark skinned girl away and hurried to stand. But Bimpe, went out of the house, and ran all the way to the gate.

Gateman: “Kai small madam, why you dey run like say pire don catch oga Brian house” he said after her, as Bimpe ran out the gate. She was crying as she walked to the bus stop, this was her first relationship, she gave all of herself except her virginity to Brian, was that the reason he cheated on her with a dark skinned girl? After he said light skinned babes were his thing. All these thoughts fought to gain preeminence in her head, as she walked slowly to board a bus. She was lost in her thoughts that she didn’t realize a car was driving slowly behind her till it honked at her. She rushed out of its way, but the car still stopped beside her. The driver wound down the window and invited her in.

Man: “I do not know why you are crying, I probably cannot solve your problems, but at the least I can give you a ride to wherever you are going”

Bimpe: “Thank you, I am going to the University of Lagos”

Man: “Oh, that’s a long way from here, but I would love to take you there. Hop in” he said and Bimpe got into the car.

Bimpe: “I am Adebimpe, and thanks for the ride”

Man: “I am Dominic, and you are welcome. A pretty girl like you deserves the best. Here is my card, call me anytime” Bimpe collected the card and tucked into her bag. When she got into the school, she went straight to her hostel. Her roommate, Oyinda was just about to leave for the weekend.

Oyinda: “Ha, Bimpe, why are you here, thought you would be spending the weekend with my brother?”

Bimpe: “Your brother is a cheat, I am so done with him” she replied vehemently and began to cry. She told everything she saw at Brian’s house, to Oyinda, who consoled her and told her that to keep her man, she had to give him the ‘cookie’, and also, that Brian loved her, the other girl was probably a pick up or just a side chick.

Oyinda: “You are the main chick girl, as beautiful as you are who wouldn’t want to have you, he probably masturbates every night, thinking about you” she said and they laughed over it.

Months later, Bimpe had given her virginity to Brian because she was made to believe, that the way to keep her man was through sex. So he had turned her into his sex machine, she didn’t live in the hostel again, she had relocated into Brian’s house as he had promised to marry her after her completion of University. Few days to her first semester exam, Bimpe tried to read the much she could but couldn’t. She was be-riddled with fever and vomiting, and then it occurred to her that she had not seen her monthly period for the past two months. Panicky she rushed to the pharmacy nearby to get a test kit. With sweaty palms she urinated on the test stick, and raised it to her eye level to see. Lo and behold, there were two pink lines on the stick. She was pregnant.

Question: What is Bimpe from Ilisan going to do, now that she is pregnant, will Brian accept the pregnancy and marry her?” Do you think Sex keeps a man, and did Bimpe make the right decision giving her virginity to Brian?

To be continued on 18th March

Names have been changed to protect the identity of the narrator and other individuals in the story.

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